Oregon pounds North Dakota to improve to 6-0

EUGENE, Ore. -- Oregon's Mike Moser decided it was time to get his rebounding game going.

The transfer from UNLV succeeded with 15 rebounds, along with 13 points, in the No. 14 Ducks' 91-76 victory over North Dakota on Saturday.

"I was trying to force it a little more today, make it a real going to go get at least 10 rebounds," he said.

It was Moser's 19th career double-double, but his first at Oregon. It was the first time the Ducks had a player in double figures for rebounds this season.

Joseph Young added 23 points and the Ducks improved to 6-0, extending their best start since opening the 2006-07 season with 13 straight wins.

Young, a junior transfer who was the leading scorer for Houston last season, has scored in double figures in all of Oregon's games this season.

Both Young and Moser said they're jelling nicely with the Ducks.

"Definitely, you can already see how things are shaping, even in the first couple of games. You see where you can score, who you can get the ball to in certain spots, really when it's your time to step up. Those are probably the biggest things in this growing process," Moser said.

Troy Huff had 25 points and nine rebounds for North Dakota, which pulled to within 81-70 on Jamal Webb's layup with 2:03 left.

After Johnathan Loyd hit a pair of free throws for the Ducks, Aaron Anderson's jumper for North Dakota make it 83-72. Lloyd made two more free throws and Anderson countered again with a layup, but that was as close as UND (2-3) would come. Anderson finished with 22 points.

It was the first meeting between the two schools.

"Our start was a little slow, a little sluggish," Huff said. "Our second half, if would've come out that way in the first half, who knows, it might've been a different game. But we played tough."

The Ducks are the second nationally ranked team that North Dakota has faced this season. The team fell to then-No. 12 Wisconsin 103-85 in their second game this season.

The Ducks, who led by as many as 20 points in the game, built an 18-7 lead midway through the first after Elgin Cook's tip shot. Loyd added a layup to extend it.

Oregon held a 26-12 lead when a foul was called on North Dakota's Shane Benton that coach Brian Jones didn't agree with. Jones held an animated argument with the ref well into a timeout. He was later called for a technical foul with one second left in the half.

The Ducks were hurt in the first half when sophomore starter Damyean Dotson appeared to injure his left ankle and had to be helped off the court. He did not return. Dotson was averaging 10. 8 points and 5.6 rebounds heading into the game.

Coach Dana Altman said after the game that it didn't appear serious.

"He just turned his ankle a little bit. I think he'll be OK, but you don't want to take any chances," Altman said.

Jalil Abdul-Bassit's 3-pointer made it 34-16 for the Ducks with just over five minutes to go and Oregon led 49-32 at the break. Young led all scorers with 17 points at the half.

"In scenarios like this where you are the underdog against and extremely talented team, we wanted that first eight minutes to be closer and that's what we talked about to our guys -- quality possessions and not turning it over," Jones said. North Dakota had seven turnovers in the first 10 minutes.

Turnovers were also an issue for the Ducks, who finished with 20.

"A lot of positives but 20 turnovers. Really disappointing, because they were bad turnovers," Altman said, shaking his head.

Moser's tip-in gave the Ducks a 59-39 lead in the second half, their biggest lead of the game. Anderson hit a 3-pointer that got North Dakota as close as 63-50, then made a jumper that pulled his team to 74-60 with 6:41 to play.

Cook had 10 points and 10 rebounds off the bench for Oregon.

The Ducks opened the Global Sports Hardwood Challenge with an 85-62 victory over Pacific on Friday at Matthew Knight Arena. North Dakota fell 70-43 to Cal Poly on Friday.

Oregon will face Cal Poly on Sunday night, after North Dakota faces Pacific.